Self-propelled running apparatus for cleaning an immersed surface

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a self-propelled running apparatus for cleaning an immersed surface, comprising in combination a rigid transverse motor housing ( 1 ), two lateral flanges ( 6 ) rigidly fixed on either side of the motor housing ( 1 ) so as to form a rigid H-shaped frame ( 72 ), a front transverse wall ( 9 ) removably fixed to said frame ( 72 ), a rear transverse wall ( 10 ), a base ( 11 ) provided with water inlets ( 66 ) and a top hood ( 5 ) fixed to the frame ( 72 ) provided with a top orifice ( 4 ) for water evacuation, a unidirectional hydraulic circuit being provided from the inlets ( 66 ) between the transverse walls ( 9, 10 ), the motor housing ( 1 ) and the flanges ( 6 ), up to the top orifice ( 4 ) of the hood ( 5 ).

The invention relates to a self-propelled rolling apparatus for cleaninga surface submerged in a liquid, in particular a swimming pool.

Some swimming pool-cleaning apparatuses are of the rolling type, that isto say comprising running members (rollers, wheels, crawler tracks . . .) which are rotatable around transverse axes of rotation at leastsubstantially parallel to the rolling plane of the apparatus defined bythese running members, corresponding to the surface on which theapparatus moves. Such apparatuses may be self-propelled, that is to sayincorporate and bear at least one (electric, hydraulic . . . ) motordriving at least one driving shaft, the rotary movement of which has tobe transmitted to at least one running member in order to drive it inrotation.

In one particular known version, to which the invention applies, theself-propelled apparatus comprises at least one electric motor which issupplied by a watertight electrical cable immersed in the swimming pooland the output shaft (rotor) of which forms a driving shaft. Such amotorised electric apparatus is also generally provided (cf. for exampleFR-2,584,442) with an electric pump for drawing up waste and a filteringbag for recovering the waste.

In most cases, the apparatus operates more or less automatically and isgenerally referred to as a robot.

Such known self-propelled rolling apparatuses with electric motors arerelatively heavy, complex, bulky, costly, and have relatively poorhydraulic performance (drawing up of the waste) considering their cost,weight and bulkiness, and they offer few possibilities for designvariations.

In general (FR-2,584,442), they consist of a rigid outer shell formingthe main frame of the apparatus bearing all of its constituent elements,namely the running members on one hand, and the electric drive motor onthe other hand. The hydraulic circuit is generally vertical, risingbetween a bottom inlet into the shell ard a top outlet from the shell.For access to the interior of the shell, the latter is generally formedof two half-shells assembled to each other at a longitudinal vertical,or horizontal assembly plane. The transmission between the electricmotor and the rollers is carried out via lateral, belt-transmissionassemblies generally fixed on the side of the shell.

As will be appreciated, with such a structure, the shell, whichsimultaneously forms the hydraulic circuit and acts as a framesupporting the mechanical members, restricts the external shapes and thedesign of the apparatus and has to have a robust, heavy and costlyconstruction. The maintenance of the mechanical part is also difficult,time-consuming and complex.

To overcome these problems, it is possible to isolate the hydraulicmechanical part of the apparatus. Provision may thus be made for anapparatus comprising a bottom mechanical frame bearing the electricmotor, the rollers and the transmissions, this mechanical framereceiving a top shell forming an S-shaped hydraulic circuit which drawsup the water upwards at the front and rear, then downwards in the shellthrough a filtering bag, before being fed upwards again through acentral chimney incorporating a pumping propeller, and being evacuatedthrough a top orifice provided in a removable top cover mounted on theshell. Such an S-shaped hydraulic circuit is complex, bulky, involvessudden changes of the flow direction (upwards, downwards and upwards)causing considerable losses of loud which adversely affects thehydraulic performance and therefore requires an oversized pumping motor.

In addition, the apparatus contains a large “dead” volume of water(volume of water upstream of the filter remaining in the apparatus whenit is turned off), thereby making the apparatus particularly heavy anddifficult to handle and take out of the water. Moreover, access to themechanical members for maintenance is still relatively time-consumingand difficult.

The object of the invention is therefore to overcome these disadvantagesby providing a self-propelled running apparatus for cleaning a submergedsurface, which has a simple, effective, unidirectional hydraulic circuit(without sudden change of the flow direction), but in which themechanical part is simple, light, robust, does not require a rigid shelland may be common to numerous models of different designs.

The object of the invention is also to provide such an apparatus whichcan be manufactured and maintained simply, quickly and inexpensively andin particular can be assembled and disassembled quickly and easily.

To this end, the invention relates to a self-propelled rolling apparatusfor cleaning a submerged surface, comprising in combination:

-   -   a rigid transverse motor housing enclosing at least one electric        motor and having at least one shaft, called the driving shaft,        for driving at least one running member, and at least one drive        shaft, called the pumping shaft, for driving a pumping member,        these drive shafts emerging outside the housing,    -   two lateral flanges rigidly fixed on each side of the motor        housing and extending longitudinally forwards and rearwards of        the motor housing so as to form a rigid, generally H-shaped        frame (or above and below), at least one of the flanges being        provided with transmission means of the driving movement between        a driving shaft projecting laterally from the motor housing and        at least one running member having a transverse axis of rotation        extending between the two flanges and guided by each flange,    -   a front transverse wall extending at the front of the motor        housing and between the two flanges while being demountably        fixed to the said frame,    -   a rear transverse wall extending at the rear of the motor        housing and between the two flanges being demountably fixed to        the said frame,    -   the front transverse wall and rear transverse wall extending at        a distance from the motor housing providing a passage for the        water, and to form between them and the lateral flanges a bottom        opening under the motor housing,    -   a base, provided with water inlets and adapted to close the said        bottom opening,    -   and a top hood fixed to the frame and covering the transverse        walls, the flanges and the motor housing, this hood being        provided with a top orifice for water evacuation, providing a        unidirectional hydraulic circuit from the inlets of the base, at        the front and rear between the transverse walls and the motor        housing and between the flanges, and up to the top orifice of        the hood.

Thus, an apparatus according to the invention has no rigid shell formingthe hydraulic circuit. In particular, it should be noted that thelateral flanges of the frame serve as side walls for the hydrauliccircuit. The top hood, the transverse walls and the base do not takepart in the transmission of the driving movement and are simple andlighter.

Advantageously and according to the invention, the two flanges aresimilar, the frame being symmetrical with respect to a medianlongitudinal plane orthogonal to a rolling plane defined by its runningmembers. Advantageously and according to the invention, the frame issymmetrical with respect to a median transverse plane orthogonal to arolling plane defined by its running members. Thus, the number ofdifferent components used to produce an apparatus according to theinvention is low. In particular, the two flanges may be identical, andthe two transverse walls may be identical.

Advantageously, an apparatus according to the invention comprises atleast one front running member extending between the two flanges, at thefront of the front transverse wall, outside the hydraulic circuit, andat least one rear running member extending between the two flanges, atthe rear of the rear transverse wall, outside the hydraulic circuit.Here again, the front running member(s) may be identical to the rearrunning member(s). They may be simple rollers guided between the flangesby means of their ends.

Advantageously and according to the invention, at least one of theflanges is formed of a casing with an outer housing enclosing means fortransmission of the driving movement in particular a train of pinions.

Advantageously and according to the invention, the two flanges beartransmission means.

In addition, advantageously and according to the invention, theapparatus comprises two independent separate drive motors (a left-handmotor and a right-hand motor), each of these motors having a drivingshaft (the apparatus comprising a left-hand driving shaft and aright-hand driving shaft), and two pairs of independent running members,namely a front pair of running members and a rear pair of runningmembers, the two running members (left-hand and right-hand) of the samepair (front or rear) being arranged as a coaxial extension of each otherand independent of each other in terms of rotation, one of them beingcoupled, via transmission means, to one of the two driving shafts, whilethe other is coupled, via transmission means, to the other drivingshaft. The apparatus thus comprises a left-hand front running member anda left-hand rear running member which are coupled to the left-handdriving shaft of the left-hand drive motor; and a right-hand frontrunning member and a right-hand rear running member which are coupled tothe right-hand driving shaft of the right-hand drive motor.Consequently, the apparatus may be steered by differential control ofthe two motors.

The two running members of the same pair extend between the flanges, onebeing guided by one of the flanges, the other being guided by the otherflange, and are advantageously associated and guided axially withrespect to each other. Advantageously, they are guided with respect toeach other by an assembly of the cylindrical telescopic type, allowingrelative rotations. This assembly and/or either or both of the tworunning members may also be rotationally guided with respect to theopposite transverse wall by a mounting with instant demounting—inparticular with a hook—which facilitates the demounting and remountingof the running members, for example in order to change the covering.

Furthermore, advantageously and according to the invention, the flangeshave grooves for receiving the lateral end edges of the transversewalls. Consequently, the transverse walls are fixed to the flanges bysimply setting in their end edges in the grooves of the flanges. Inaddition, better tightness between the hydraulic circuit inside theapparatus, which is at low pressure, and the pool outside the apparatusis ensured in a simple way.

In addition, advantageously and according to the invention, each flangeis demountably fixed to the motor housing, in particular by means ofscrews or bolts.

Advantageously and according to the invention, the transverse walls arefixed to the top hood by means of screws or bolts, which clamp the tophood on the transverse walls.

The entire assembly of the flanges to the motor housing, and thetransverse walls by setting in the flanges and the top hood by relativeclamping may be assembled or disassembled particularly simply, easilyand quickly and provides the structure, thus formed, of the apparatuswith great rigidity.

In addition, advantageously and according to the invention, theapparatus comprises a carrying handle fixed on the frame—in particularto the flanges—through the hood. This fixing may be realised by hooking,the handle having ends provided with hooks passing through apertures ofthe hood, with a locking clip inserted behind each hook through theaperture of the hood in order to lock the hook in place with respect tothe hood.

In addition, advantageously and according to the invention, the motorhousing is moulded as close as possible around the elements which itcontains and has rounded shapes promoting the water circulation.

Furthermore, advantageously and according to the invention, the motorhousing comprises an upper central pumping motor with a pumping shaftorthogonal to a running plane defined by the running members and drivinga pumping propeller arranged outside the motor housing under the orificeof the hood, and capable of generating a flow of water in the apparatusbetween the water inlets and the top orifice.

According to another advantageous feature of the invention, the basebears a filter interposed in the hydraulic circuit between the bottomwater inlets and the top evacuation orifice. Advantageously andaccording to the invention, the filter extends between the motor housingand each transverse wall.

Furthermore, advantageously and according to the invention, the base isremovably fixed with respect to the frame. Advantageously and accordingto the invention, the base is fixed to the flanges. Advantageously andaccording to the invention, the base is fixed to the frame byelastic-hooking fixing means.

In addition, advantageously and according to the invention, at least oneof the transverse walls is provided with at least one emptying valveallowing the emptying of the hydraulic circuit owing to gravity when theapparatus is withdrawn from the liquid.

The invention also relates to an apparatus characterised in acombination by some or all of the features mentioned above or below.

The apparatus according to the invention is simple, inexpensive, robust,easy and quick to assemble and disassemble, and therefore to repair,maintain and use, may be subject to considerable design variations atless industrial cost (it is sufficient for example to modify the shapeof the hood), comprises no or virtually no dead volume of liquid (thehydraulic circuit emptying entirely on withdrawal of the apparatus fromthe liquid) and is light and easy to handle.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent on reading the following description of an exemplary embodimentshown in the figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an apparatusaccording to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in theassembled state,

FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a transmission casingaccording to the invention,

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the casing of FIG. 3 in theassembled state,

FIG. 5 is a schematic bottom view with a partial section of theapparatus of FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 is a schematic transverse vertical sectional view of theapparatus of FIG. 1,

FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal vertical sectional view of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an electric self-propelled rolling apparatus (orrobot) according to the invention, for cleaning a submerged surface, inparticular a swimming pool, comprising a central transverse rigid motorhousing 1 made of rigid synthetic material enclosing two similarindependent electric motors 83, one on each side, each driving atransverse rotary driving shaft 2 which emerges, projecting laterally,outside the motor housing 1. In its central part, the motor housing 1encloses a third electric motor 70 whose drive shaft, called the pumpingshaft 71, emerges vertically upwards outside the motor housing 1 fordriving an upper pumping propeller 3 outside the motor housing 1.

The apparatus according to the invention also comprises two lateraltransmission casings 6 according to the invention, one on each side.Each transmission casing 6 is fixed rigidly but demountably, in asingle-piece assembly, to each lateral end 7, respectively, of the motorhousing 1. Each casing 6 forms a lateral flange extending longitudinallyforwards and rearwards of the motor casing 1, so as to form a rigid,overall H-shaped frame 72 on which the other members of the apparatusare mounted and fixed, namely a top hood 5, an actuating handle 8; afront transverse wall 9 and rear transverse wall 10 which extend betweenthe two casings 6 and the top hood 5, and at the front and rear,respectively, of the motor housing 1, and delimit between them and withthe casings 6, at their bottom part, a bottom opening closed by a base11 provided with water inlets 66 having valves allowing the water toenter upwards but preventing it from leaving downwards. The base 11bears a filtering bag 12 incorporated in the enclosure 73 thus formed bythe hood 5, the transverse walls 9, 10 and the casings 6. The filteringbag 12 has two pockets extending at the front and rear, respectively, ofthe motor housing 1, between the motor housing and each transverse wall9, 10.

The front transverse wall 9 and rear transverse wall 10 are provided, attheir bottom part, with nonreturn drain valves 74 adapted to prevent thewater from entering the enclosure 73 from outside during the operationof the apparatus, but to allow the water contained in the enclosure 73to leave, owing to gravity, when the apparatus has been turned off. Whenthe propeller 3 is not active, the water contained in the enclosure 73is automatically emptied owing to gravity via the drain valves 74 whenthe apparatus is taken out of the water.

In terms of running members, the apparatus comprises two front rollers13 (a left-hand front roller and a right-hand front roller), extendingbetween the two casings 6, and at the front of the front transverse wall9, outside the hydraulic circuit formed in the enclosure 73, andtransversely and as an axial extension of each other, and rotatablearound a transverse axis parallel to the surface on which they roll,each of these front running members 13 being coupled, respectively, toone of the lateral casings 6; and two rear rollers 14 (a left-hand rearroller and a right-hand rear roller) extending between the two casings 6and at the rear of the rear transverse wall 10, outside the hydrauliccircuit formed in the enclosure 73, and transversely and as an axialextension of each other, rotatable around a transverse axis parallel tothe surface on which they run, each of these rear rolling members 14being coupled, respectively, to one of the lateral casings 6. The tworollers of the same pair of front rollers 13 or rear rollers 14 areindependent of each other, in terms of rotation, that is to say notlocked in terms of rotation, each of them being driven by one of themotors 83 (left-hand or right-hand), to the driving shaft 2 (left-handor right-hand) of which it is connected by means of a transmissioncasing 6.

Each roller 13, 14 comprises a cylindrical main shaft 17, and aperipheral covering 18, for example made of foam and/or formed ofbrushes, which is mounted so as to be locked in terms of rotation withthe shaft 17, but can be replaced in the event of wear. The shafts 17 ofthe two front rollers 13 or rear rollers 14 are cylinders of revolutionand telescope in each other axially so as to be able to be broughtcloser to each other at the central part of the apparatus in order to beuncoupled from the lateral casings 6 and demounted from the apparatus,or, on the contrary, to be spaced out from each other so as to couplethem to the casings 6. The shafts 17 of the rollers 13, 14 are alsoguided by a central bearing 15, 16 integral with the front wall 9 andarranged between the two front rollers 13 or rear rollers 14. Thisbearing 15, 16 comprises a cutout 15 for receiving the shaft 17 havingthe largest diameter of one of the rollers 13, 14, and a locking hook 16which pivots so as to be able to be swung above the cutout 15 and theshaft 17 for the mounting of the rollers or, on the contrary, moved awayfrom the cutout 15 for the demounting of the rollers 13, 14. The tworear rollers 14 are similar to the front rollers 13, having a transverseaxis parallel to that of the front rollers 13, and mounted and driven ina similar fashion as the front rollers 13. The bearings 15, 16 integralwith the transverse walls 9, 10 and guiding the rollers 13, 14 aresubjected to poor radial force. The two rollers of the same pair aretelescopic and therefore guided and held radially with respect to eachother while being free in terms of rotation with respect to each other,and are also guided and held at their opposite ends by the casings 6.

The rollers 13, 14 define a rolling plane of the apparatus correspondingto the submerged surface on which they move. The driving shafts 2 of theapparatus are coaxial and parallel to this rolling plane. The pumpingshaft 71 of the third motor driving the propeller 3 is orthogonal tothis rolling plane, so that the propeller 3 is adapted to create a flowof water in the orthogonal direction in displacement away from therolling plane (vertically upwards when the submerged surface ishorizontal), from the bottom inlets 66 around the motor housing 1 andbetween the transverse walls 9, 10, the casings 6 and the motor housing1, and up to a top drain orifice 4 provided in the top hood 5 of theapparatus, through which the water is expelled upwards from theapparatus. The filtering bag 12 extends at the front and rear of themotor housing 1 and its opening is associated with the periphery of thebase 11, so that this filtering bag 12 is interposed in the watercircuit between the inlets 66 and the outlet orifice 4. The housing 1may be moulded as close as possible around the motors 70, 83 and memberswhich it contains, in order to achieve greater compactness, an increasein rigidity, and hydrodynamic rounded external shapes. When thepropeller 3 is active, the water is driven in an upward movement and cantherefore not leave again via the drain valves 74 owing to gravity.

A watertight electrical supply cable 19 is connected to the inside ofthe motor housing 1, for supplying and controlling the different motors70, 83, and this cable 19 passes through the top hood 5 via one of theapertures 79 for fixing the handle 8 in order to enable connection to anelectric power supply outside the apparatus and the swimming pool.

The two lateral casings 6 are identical. In fact, each casing 6 issymmetrical with respect to a median transverse plane orthogonal to therolling plane and therefore to the surface on which the apparatus moves.This plane of symmetry is thus, in particular, vertical when thissurface is horizontal. The frame 72, and more generally the apparatus,are overall symmetrical with respect to the same median transverse planeorthogonal to the running plane, and this plane of symmetry of the robotcoincides with the plane of symmetry of each casing 6. The frame 72 andthe apparatus are also overall symmetrical with respect to a medianlongitudinal plane orthogonal to the running plane.

Each transmission casing 6 comprises an outer rigid housing 20 (theother elements of the casing 6 being incorporated in this housing 20).This housing 20 is formed of two half-shells 20 a, 20 b—an innerhalf-shell 20 a closest to the motor housing 1 of the apparatus andfixed to the motor housing 1 of the apparatus, and an outer half-shell20 b farthest from the motor housing 1 of the apparatus. Each half-shellextends at least essentially orthogonally to the rolling plane and inthe longitudinal direction, and the two half-shells 20 a, 20 b areassembled to each other at an overall longitudinal, peripheral plane 21a, 21 b. The half-shells 20 a, 20 b are made of moulded rigid syntheticmaterial.

The inner half-shell 20 a comprises a median top bracket 22 extendingtransversely towards the centre of the apparatus enabling it to be fixedby means of a screw 23 to the motor housing 1, above the driving shaft2. The handle 8 has two ends 76, each of them being provided with a hook77 adapted to be engaged in an aperture 78 of the bracket 22 and hookedonto this bracket 22. The hood 5 is provided with apertures 79 allowingthe hooks 77 to pass through the hood 5, and the insertion of lockingclips 80 adapted to lock the hooks 77 in the hooking position. Eachaperture 79 of the hood 5 is larger than the hook 77, so that a lockingclip 80 may be inserted into this aperture 79 at the rear of the hook77, between the hook 77 and the opposite edge of the aperture 79, inorder to push the hook 77 back laterally into the position in which itis hooked onto the bracket 22. To remove the handle 8, it is thusnecessary to remove the locking clips 80 by withdrawing them axiallyfrom the apertures 79 of the hood 5, thereby allowing the hooks 77 to bepushed back laterally in the aperture 78 of the brackets 22 and in theapertures 79 of the hood 5, in order to disengage them from the brackets22 and then withdraw them axially from these apertures 78, 79. Toremount the handle 8, the opposite operations are performed.

The handle 8 is thus demountably fixed on the brackets 22 of the casings6, and therefore on the frame 72, through the hood 5. It should be notedthat this fixing of the handle 8 to the frame 72 also secures the hood 5to the frame 72, the hooks 77 and clips 80 having an outer part largerthan the apertures 79 of the hood 5 so that the hood 5 is held againstthe brackets 22 of the casings 6.

The inner half-shell 20 a also comprises two bottom lateral brackets 24which also extend transversely towards the centre of the apparatus inorder to be placed above a lateral bottom shoulder 25 of the motorhousing 1 and to be fixed thereto by means of screws 26. Between thebrackets 22, 24, the inner half-shell 20 a is shaped so as to receivethe lateral end 7 of the motor housing 1, the driving shaft 2 being ableto be coupled to an input journal 27 of the casing 6 accessible via anaperture 43 passing through the inner half-shell 20 a, axially oppositethe driving shaft 2.

The input journal 27 is mounted so as to be freely rotatable withrespect to the casing 6, between the two half-shells 20 a, 20 b, arounda transverse axis of rotation, and receives the driving movement fromthe driving shaft 2. To this end, each half-shell 20 a, 20 b defines acylindrical seat 28 a, 28 b which receives a ring 29 a, 29 b, made ofsynthetic antifriction material, which in turn receives an axialcylindrical extension 30 a, 30 b of the input journal 27 allowing itsrotational guidance in the ring 29 a, 29 b.

The cylindrical axial extension 30 a extending from the side of theinner half-shell 20 a is extended by means of four positive-locking pins31 forming means for demountable coupling to the driving shaft 2. Thedriving shaft 2 is in turn provided with a positive-locking cross 32adapted to receive the positive-locking pins 31 of the input journal 27when the casing 6 is in place on the motor housing 1. Thepositive-locking pins 31 and the cross 32 thus produce means fordemountable coupling by simple relative movement into place, of thepositive clutch type, the axially extending pins 31 engaging in matingcutouts of the cross 32.

The casing 6 also comprises two output journals 33, 34, namely a frontoutput journal 33 and a rear output journal 34, adapted to be coupled,through the housing 20, to the shaft 17 of one of the front rollers 13or rear rollers 14, respectively. Each output journal 33, 34 is freelyrotatable around a transverse axis of rotation, like the input journal27. The front output journal 33 and rear output journal 34 are identicalwith the input journal 27 and are guided with respect to the housing 20of the casing 6, like the input journal, by means of front cylindricalseats 35 a, 35 b and rear cylindrical seats 36 a, 36 b provided in thehalf-shells 20 a, 20 b, and of front rings 37 a, 37 b made ofantifriction material and rear rings 38 a, 38 b made of antifrictionmaterial, each output journal 33, 34 comprising a cylindrical axialextension 39 a, 39 b and 40 a, 40 b, respectively, which is engaged inthe corresponding ring 37 a, 37 b, 38 a, 38 b. The two output journals33, 34 also comprise, on the inner side of the apparatus,positive-locking pins 41 and 42, respectively, which are adapted for thecoupling of the journal 33, 34 to a positive-locking cross 46 and 47,respectively, which extends at the opposite lateral axial end of theshaft 17 of the roller 13, 14. The positive-locking pins 31, 41, 42 ofthe different journals 27, 33, 34 extend through circular apertures 43,44, 45 provided through the inner half-shell 20 a in order to enablecooperation with the opposite positive-locking crosses 32, 46, 47 andprovide the demountable coupling through the housing 20. The inputjournal 27 and output journals 33, 34 may be formed of identicalcomponents, thereby enabling a reduction of the manufacturing costs.

Between the input journal 27 and each of the output journals 33, 34, thecasing 6 comprises a train of successive pinions 48, 49 which mesh inpairs, mounted so as to be freely rotatable around transverse axes ofrotation (parallel in pairs and to the axes of rotation of the journals27, 33, 34), and mesh on the one hand with a toothed wheel 50 of theinput journal 27 and on the other hand with a toothed wheel 51 and 52,respectively, of the output journal 33 and 34, respectively. Preferably,each train of pinions 48, 49 comprises an uneven number of pinions andthe different pinions have the same diameter. The different pinions maythus be identical, in order to reduce the manufacturing costs. When thedriving shaft 2 is coupled to the input journal 27, it drives it inrotation, and each of the output journals 33, 34 is also driven inrotation in the same direction and at the same speed by the trains ofpinions 48, 49. The axes of rotation of the different pinions 48, 49 canbe simply formed of cylindrical transverse extensions 53 adapted toreceive a cylindrical bore of the different pinions, these extensions 53extending outwards from the inner half-shell 20 a, with which they areintegral. Preferably, the inner half-shell 20 a and outer half-shell 20b are joined to each other by screws 54 passing through the axes ofrotation of the pinions 48, 49, that is to say through the transverseextensions 53. In this case, the different pinions 48, 49 are providedwith an aperture for the passage of these assembly screws 54, and theouter shell 20 b comprises studs 55 which abut against the axial end ofthe transverse extensions 53 formed by the inner half-shell 20 a, thesestuds 55 being adapted to receive the self-tapping screws 54, in such away that their threads are in engagement with these studs 55 which actas inside threads.

In a variant (not shown), or in combination, the studs may benon-demountably secured (welding, adhesive bonding . . . ) to theextensions 53, thus, the half-shells 21 a, 20 a being incapable of beingdisassembled.

The inner half-shell 20 a also comprises grooves 64 and 65,respectively, for receiving the lateral end edges 81 of the fronttransverse wall 9 and 82 of the rear transverse wall 10, and the bottomlateral brackets 62 are provided with apertures through which passscrews 63 allowing the assembly of the transverse walls 9, 10, thecasings 6 and the hood 5. The transverse walls 9, 10 are thereforefitted in the grooves 64, 65 of the casings 6 and extend between thesetwo casings 6 over the entire height of the casings 6 at the level ofthe grooves 64, 65. The screws 63 pull the transverse walls 9, 10 andthe hood 5 towards each other on the casings 6. In the example shown,they are introduced into apertures of the transverse walls 9, 10 inorder to be screwed into screwing studs forming inner threads of thehood 5.

The base 11 may be fixed on the transverse walls 9, 10 and/or thelateral casings 6 by screws and/or elastic hooks or other demountablefixing means so as to close the bottom opening formed by the transversewalls 9, 10 and the lateral casings 6. The base 11 is removably fixed tothe frame 72, in particular to the lateral casings, 6, by means ofelastic hooks 75 cooperating with a groove 76 integral with the innerhalf-shell 20 a. The transverse walls 9, 10 and the top hood 5 arecarried by the casings 6 by means of the grooves 64, 65 and the brackets62 and screws 63. To disassemble the apparatus, for example for amaintenance operation, it is sufficient to remove the rollers 13, 14 bymoving away the hooks 16, then removing the screws 63 and withdrawingthe clips 80 in order to demount the handle 8. The transverse walls 9,10 and the hood 5 can be dissociated from the frame 72. To demount thetransverse walls 9, 10, it is necessary to demount one casing 6 (owingto the grooves 64, 65). The cable 19 passes through the hood and doesnot allow the complete separation of the hood 5 and the frame 72.Nevertheless, it is sufficient to slide the hood 5 along the cable 19,so that the maintenance is possible and easy. Assembly is effected byperforming the opposite operations. The design of the apparatus may havenumerous variants.

The outer half-shell 20 b also preferably has a central top bracket 56intended to extend above the central top bracket 22 of the innerhalf-shell 20 a and fixed with it to the motor housing 1 above thedriving shaft 2.

Furthermore, the casing 6 according to the invention advantageouslycomprises a crawler track 57 formed of an endless belt passing aroundthe input journal 27 and output journals 33, 34 in order to be driven tomove continuously by means of these journals 27, 33, 34 and form alongitudinal bottom strand 58 for contact with the ground, acting as arunning member driven by the apparatus. For guidance of the crawlertrack 57, each journal 27, 33, 34 advantageously comprises two lateralparallel flanges 59 perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the journal27, 33, 34, on either side of the toothed wheel 50, 51, 52, in order toform a roller for receiving and driving the crawler track 57. The latteradvantageously comprises inner notches or teeth 60 adapted to beinserted between the two flanges 59. Similarly, the crawler track 57advantageously comprises outer notches or teeth 61, or any otherequivalent antisliding member adapted to contact the ground. Such alateral crawler track facilitates the driving of the apparatus whenpassing over stairs or on changes of incline or on sloping walls.

The different pinions 48, 49, the journals 27, 33, 34 and thehalf-shells 20 a, 20 b may be produced entirely from rigid syntheticmaterial, and the crawler track 57 from flexible synthetic material, sothat the transmission casing 6 according to the invention is madeentirely of synthetic material, with the possibly exception of theassembly screws 23, 26 (for mounting the casing 6 on the apparatus) and54 for assembly of the half-shells 20 a, 20 b. These screws 23, 26, 54may, however, also be produced from synthetic material. The whole of thetransmission thus produced is not subject to corrosion and is highlyreliable when operating in water. The apparatus according to theinvention has no moving metal components or metal friction members. Allthe movable (rotary) elements necessary for the transmission of thedriving movement from the driving shafts 2 to the running members(rollers 13, 14 and crawler track 57) are entirely incorporated in thetwo lateral casings 6 and carried by these casings 6. If one of thecasings 6 requires a maintenance operation, it is easy to demount itfrom the apparatus and replace it with a new one, then repair the casingin the workshop. During the repair, the apparatus remains operational inthe swimming pool.

The different casings 6 are produced with a very small number ofdifferent components and their manufacturing cost is low. The sameapplies to the apparatus according to the invention.

The invention may have numerous variant embodiments other than thepreferred embodiment shown. In the simplified versions, the transmissionof the driving movement between the input journal 27 and each outputjournal 33, 34 may be provided only via the crawler track 57 which actsas a drive belt (the casing in this case having no gear trains). Thenumber of pinions of the gear trains may differ from three. The sameapplies to the number of output journal(s) which may differ from two (asingle output journal or more than two output journals). The outputjournals may drive not rollers, but drive shafts locked in terms ofrotation with wheels or rollers . . . or even be directly coupled torunning members without a separate drive shaft (for example to endflanges of these wheels, rollers . . . ). The apparatus according to theinvention may comprise running members which are not motorised (mountedfree in terms of rotation) and/or running members coupled successivelyto one another and not directly independently to a transmission casing.An apparatus according to the invention may comprise only one drivemotor, one driving shaft and one lateral transmission casing, the otherlateral casing having no transmission means and serving only to guidethe running members and, if appropriate, the crawler track. On thecontrary, in the preferred illustrated version, the apparatus accordingto the invention comprises two drive motors 83, one on each side, andtwo lateral transmission casings 6, both provided with transmissionmeans 48, 49, 57. In this case, it is possible to control the apparatusaccording to the speed of each motor 83.

The maintenance of the transmission of an apparatus according to theinvention is reduced and simple.

1. A self-propelled rolling apparatus for cleaning a submerged surface,comprising in combination: a rigid transverse motor housing (1)enclosing at least one electric motor (70, 83) and having at least onedrive shaft, called the driving shaft (2), for driving at least onerunning member (13, 14), and at least one drive shaft (71), calledpumping shaft (71), for driving a pumping member (3), these drive shafts(2, 71) emerging outside the housing (1), two lateral flanges (6)rigidly fixed on each side of the motor housing (1) and extendinglongitudinally forwards and rearwards of the motor housing (1) in orderto form a rigid, generally H-shaped frame (72), at least one of theflanges (6) bearing means (48, 49, 57) for transmission of the drivingmovement between a driving shaft (2) projecting laterally from the motorhousing (1) and at least one running member (13, 14) having a transverseaxis of rotation extending between the two flanges (6) and guided byeach flange (6), a front transverse wall (9) extending at the front ofthe motor housing (1) and between the two flanges (6) being demountablyfixed to the said frame (72), the front transverse wall (9) and reartransverse wall (10) extending at a distance from the motor housing (1)in order to provide a passage for the water, and to form, between themand the lateral flanges (6), a bottom opening under the motor housing(1), a base (11) provided with water inlets (66) and adapted to closethe said bottom opening, and a top hood (5) fixed to the frame (72) andcovering the transverse walls (9, 10), the flanges (6) and the motorhousing (1), this hood (5) being provided with a top orifice (4) forwater evacuation, in order to provide a unidirectional hydraulic circuitfrom the inlets (66) of the base (11), at the front and rear between thetransverse walls (9, 10) and the motor housing (1) and between theflanges (6), and up to the top orifice (4) of the hood (5).
 2. Anapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two flanges (6) aresimilar, the frame (72) being symmetrical with respect to a medianlongitudinal plane orthogonal to a running plane defined by its runningmembers (13, 14).
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein theframe (72) is symmetrical with respect to a median transverse planeorthogonal to a running plane defined by its running members (13, 14).4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which comprises at least onefront running member (13) extending between the two flanges (6), at thefront of the front transverse wall (9), outside the hydraulic circuit.5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which comprises at least one rearrunning member (14) extending between the two flanges (6), at the rearof the rear transverse wall (10), outside the hydraulic circuit.
 6. Anapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the flanges (6)is formed of a casing (6) having an outer housing which encloses means(48, 49, 57) for transmission of the driving movement.
 7. An apparatusas claimed in claim 1, wherein the two flanges (6) each bear atransmission means (48, 49, 57).
 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1,which comprises two independent separate drive motors (83), each ofthese motors having a driving shaft (2), and two pairs of independentrunning members (13, 14), namely a front pair of running members (13)and a rear pair of running members (14), the two running members of thesame pair being arranged as a coaxial extension of each other andindependent of each other in terms of rotation, one of them beingcoupled, via transmission means, to one of the two driving shafts, whilethe other is coupled, via transmission means, to the other drivingshaft.
 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flanges (6)have grooves (64, 65) for receiving the lateral end edges (81, 82) ofthe transverse walls (9, 10).
 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein each flange (6) is demountably fixed to the motor housing (1),in particular by means of screws or bolts (23).
 11. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the transverse walls (9, 10) are fixed tothe top hood (5) by means of screws or bolts (63) which clamp the tophood (5) on the transverse walls (9, 10).
 12. An apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, which comprises a carrying handle (8) fixed on the frame (72)through the hood (5).
 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe motor housing (1) is moulded as close as possible around theelements which it contains and has rounded shapes promoting the watercirculation.
 14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motorhousing (1) comprises a central pumping motor (70) below a pumping shaft(71) orthogonal to a rolling plane defined by the running members anddriving a pumping propeller (3) arranged outside the motor housing (1)under the orifice (4) of the hood (5), and capable of generating a flowof water in the apparatus between the water inlets (66) and the toporifice (4).
 15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base(11) bears a filter (12) interposed in the hydraulic circuit between thebottom water inlets (66) and the top evacuation orifice (4).
 16. Anapparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the filter (12) extendsbetween the motor housing (1) and each transverse wall (9, 10).
 17. Anapparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the base (11) is removablyfixed with respect to the frame (72).
 18. An apparatus as claimed inclaim 15, wherein the base (11) is fixed to the flanges (6).
 19. Anapparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the base (11) is fixed to theframe (72) by elastic-hooking fixing means (75).
 20. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the transverse walls (9, 10)has at least one drain valve (74) allowing the emptying of the hydrauliccircuit owing to gravity when the apparatus is withdrawn from theliquid.